


Reconnecting

by geriatricsupersoldiers



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Long-Distance Relationship, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-11 22:44:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9038015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geriatricsupersoldiers/pseuds/geriatricsupersoldiers
Summary: After the events of Civil War, Steve is laying low in Wakanda. He hadn't realized just how alone he felt until he received an unexpected message from someone he'd been thinking about for quite some time.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A gift for marvel-and-dc-geek from your Sharon Carter Secret Santa. Merry Christmas!!

**I can't believe I stole that shield for you and you just gave it right back**

The screen of Steve's burner phone lit up at about midnight, Wakanda time. He and his sleep schedule were, unfortunately still on Berlin time. Or London time. Maybe even Eastern Standard Time-- he couldn't exactly remember when he was last on a normal sleep schedule, if he was being honest. Regardless, he was wide awake, but the sudden buzz from his bedside table still startled him.

He could count the number of people who knew this number on one hand, all of whom were more than likely asleep in the exact palace where he'd been hiding out since his and Bucky's final throwdown with Stark. 

His first guess was that Natasha had somehow dug it up and decided to check in.

Upon reading the message, however, he realized that it wasn't Nat, but rather another former SHIELD agent who probably had her own secret means for finding people who didn't want to be found.

**How did you get this number?**

Probably not the response she was hoping to get to what read as playful banter-- it was hard for him to read tone through text message sometimes-- but he supposed that was what she got for sending him a message out of the blue on a number that she wasn't supposed to know about.

**It probably would have been a headache to carry thru customs anyway** , he quickly added in an attempt to keep the conversation light. Playful, let alone flirtatious chats had been few and far between since his arrival at T'Challa's palace, and he didn't want to turn Sharon off by coming off too stern.

**I have my ways** , read her response, which came just after he'd hit send on his second text. A second response arrived quickly thereafter. **That's fair, although I'm sure you have more pull with customs agents than most, entering the country with the king and all**

He nearly responded with nothing but a long string of question marks. How on earth did she know where he was? He could ask, but he felt the odds of receiving some variation of “I have my ways” were fairly high, so he decided not to waste his time. _Spies._

**I think it just felt like Tony needed it more than I did at the time**

**Maybe you're right. How is everything? I'm sure you're both getting the royal treatment**

**I guess you could say that**

**That doesn't sound very convincing, Rogers**

**Bucky is back in cryo**

**Oh. By T'Challa's request?**

**By his own**

**Oh... I can understand why he'd want to. And if Wakandan medical and technical advancements are even half of what they're said to be, he's in excellent hands**

The conversation stagnated at that.

_Way to keep the mood light, you dope_.

He scrambled to find a way to change the subject or keep the conversation going before too much time had passed.

**What time is it where you are btw?** A desperate attempt, and he wouldn't be surprised if she called him out for it, but he'd take it.

**Late**

**Trouble sleeping?**

**It's been so long since I've gotten a good night's sleep, I'm starting to think my body is rejecting it. All these years of timezone-hopping and irregular sleep schedules, and it's stress that finally turns me sleep-averse**

**Lol I feel your pain**

**Do you even need sleep? I always thought you ran on nothing but good old-fashioned patriotism**

**Funny**

**I try. I supposed I should make an effort to get some rest tho**

**And here I thought you ran on nothing but good old-fashioned sarcasm**

**Ha. Ha. Who's the comedian now?**

**Will I be able to reach you on this number again?**

**For now. If that changes, I'll let you know**

He almost asked what they would do if both of them needed to ditch their current numbers, but then he remembered that she'd managed to find him once and probably wouldn't have much trouble doing it again.

**Ok. Good night Sharon**

**Night**

* * *

Steve was on his nightly run, not to be confused with his morning run or the occasional afternoon run that he'd take if he was feeling especially restless, when he was suddenly struck by the need for a little human contact. He was usually surrounded by plenty of other people around the palace grounds, but they were all going about their own business and didn't have much time to entertain a lonely runaway superhero. He understood that, but that didn't make it any less difficult to be a world away from the home and community he'd built for himself since coming out of the ice.

**I hope I'm not bugging you. Or waking you up**

A few minutes passed with no response and Steve struggled to keep himself from worrying. For all he knew, she was just asleep and hadn't been woken up by the text. Or she was busy with something else and simply hadn't noticed the message yet.

Try as he might, however, he couldn't stop himself from considering the worst. She was on the run, too, after all. The CIA didn't take too kindly to her stealing his shield and Sam's wings out from under their noses-- what if they'd tracked her down, wherever it was that she'd gone to? Maybe she had to bolt unexpectedly and hadn't gotten a chance to contact him with a new number, yet. Maybe it wasn't safe for them to be in contact at all.

He was shaken from his thoughts by his phone finally buzzing in response.

**You're not doing either. What's up?**

**Just felt like checking in, I suppose**

He didn't necessarily want to confess his true motivation (that he was terribly lonely and that he had also worked himself into something of a panic over her safety), but he was also tempted to swallow his pride in order to address both problems right here and now.

In true Steve Rogers fashion, he'd waited too long to come to terms with his interest in Sharon, and he wondered if he wasn't being offered a second chance to be more forthcoming with the truth.

**Everything's fine in my corner of the world. Well. As fine as it can be, considering**

**You're safe though?** He doubted she'd be willing or able to offer him too much detail about her current living situation, but he hoped she could at least offer a little reassurance.

**I'm ok, Steve. Promise. How's palace life?**

**Honestly? Lonely. A little boring. I feel like I'm spending most of my time trying not to intrude on everyone's day to day lives. Everyone's been nice and friendly and helpful-- don't get me wrong-- but I'm sort of just... idk**

**Lost?**

**Yea, lost. I don't know what to do with myself around here**

**Hiding out from world governments and intelligence organizations will definitely do that to a person**

**Where are you?** He hadn't planned on asking, knowing she probably wouldn't tell, but he couldn't help it.

**Switzerland.** Of course she had to prove him wrong. **I'd rather not get into anymore detail than that tho. Sorry. If something happens, I'd rather not drag you into it**

**I thought you said you were safe?**

**I am. Just saying**

As much as he didn't want to admit it, that was a fair choice.

**Let me know if that changes**

He could practically feel her hesitation, but she eventually agreed.

**I will**

They may have been continents apart, but that didn't mean they couldn't still have each other's backs.

* * *

He made sure to replace the number he had saved in his phone when she contacted him from a new burner.

**I'm still ok. Just taking precautions. If you weren't under the protection of an entire kingdom, I'd probably suggest you do the same**

* * *

It was incredible how time flew. It was still tough, being so far removed from everything and everyone he'd known for the past several years, but Steve had grown more comfortable with his situation, thanks in no small part to Sharon. It was good for both of them to have a link to the lives they led before everything went to hell, he decided.

**If we text each other, that means we're not technically alone on Christmas, right?**

The holiday was still several days away, but it wasn't as though either of their situations were going to change much in that time.

**idk how many others would agree with us, but I'm willing to believe that**

**I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish you were here**

His phone buzzed in response a moment later. He checked it to find a photo attached to the incoming message.

She had taken a picture of herself, bundled in an oversized sweater, sitting on a sofa in what he assumed with was the living room of her Swiss apartment. Her hair was dyed a warm shade of brown, presumably to help hide her true identity from anyone looking for a blonde American woman, but apart from that, she still looked just like she did when he last saw her.

**There. Now I am**

He snapped a quick selfie in front of the miniature Christmas tree he'd set up on top of his coffee table and sent it. **Merry Christmas, Sharon**

**Merry Christmas, Steve <3**


End file.
